Medical clothing: safeguarding health and well-being

Abstract

Medical clothing plays a major role in human well-being by protecting individuals against infection, by monitoring physiological signs and by promoting health.

The protective properties of medical clothing are gaining new-found interest among health care workers and public health officials as a result of the increasing incidence of infections contracted in hospitals and the sporadic outbreak of deadly viruses among the general public. The most recent example of such an outbreak is that of the H1N1 virus - popularly known as Mexican swine flu - which manifested itself in April 2009. Preventing such outbreaks also has a financial dimension, given that the costs of treating infections and viruses are soaring.

One technology which should help to stem the increase in health care costs is that of clothing with healing properties. Also wearable textile-based health monitoring systems should save health care costs by enabling individuals to manage their own health.

In the meantime, new fabric technologies have paved the way for the development of medical clothing which satisfies a need for comfort as well as protection. Indeed, many garments worn by the medical profession are now enhanced with comfort and performance features which are more commonly associated with high-tech sportswear and athletic apparel.

Table of Contents

SUMMARY

INTRODUCTION

MEDICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

• Wearers of medical protective clothing

DEVELOPMENT OF MEDICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

THE ROLE OF MEDICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING IN THE REDUCTION OR ELIMINATION OF CONTAMINATION (ASEPSIS)

• Potential of medical protective clothing to cause cross-infection

GARMENTS AND ACCESSORIES WORN BY HEALTH CARE WORKERS

• Garments worn by health care workers
• Accessories worn by health care workers
• Sterile gloves
• Footwear covers
• Independent sleeves
• Safety glasses
• Surgical masks
• Disposable plastic aprons
• Scrub hats

ESSENTIAL PROPERTIES OF MEDICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

• Barrier protection
• Comfort
• Practical design
• Durability
• Resistance to undesirable effects
• Microbial resistance
• Lint resistance
• Flame resistance
• Static resistance
• Stain resistance
• Wrinkle resistance
• Fashionable appearance
• Colours used for medical protective clothing
• Patterns used for medical protective clothing

FABRICS USED IN MEDICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

• Cotton
• Bamboo
• Polyester
• Blends
• High performance fabrics Nonwovens
• Spunlace
• Polypropylene SMS
• Polyethylene

REGULATION AND TESTING OF MEDICAL PROTECTIVE CLOTHING

• Regulation of the sale of medical protective clothing
• Efficacy testing

INTELLIGENT MEDICAL CLOTHING

• Wearable textile-based health monitoring systems
• Examples of wearable textile-based health monitoring systems
• Textronics: wearable sensors for use in health monitoring
• VivoMetrics: LifeShirt
• Sensatex: SmartShirt
• ConText project: RSI vest
• Verhaert Design and Development (VDD) and the University of Brussels: Mamagoose pyjamas

THERAPEUTIC CLOTHING

• Examples of therapeutic clothing
• Espere Healthcare: DermaSilk
• Therapeutic Systems: Deep pressure vest
• Telesto Medtech: ERX therapeutic garments
• Woolmark Development International (WDI): Sensory Perception Technology (SPT) microcapsules

OUTLOOK

List of tables

• Table 1: Appropriate clothing for different levels of risk of infection
• Table 2: Survival of micro-organisms on hospital fabrics
• Table 3: Efficacy tests for medical protective clothing

List of figures

• Figure 1: Laboratory (lab) coat
• Figure 2: Scrubs
• Figure 3: Surgical gown